1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a gaming machine, a method of playing the gaming machine, and a readable recording medium storing an executable control program for the game, all including a dynamic bonus feature.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various gaming machines are known in the related art to include a display having a grid of cells, such as typical slot machines. These gaming machines include a first plurality of game elements and a controller for initiating a normal random display of the game elements. A display processor is connected to the display for randomly displaying the normal random display such that one game element is displayed in each of the cells. These gaming machines also include a bonus round which is played after the normal random display and the bonus round is initiated by a triggering combination.
One such game is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,977 to Bennett wherein a machine displaying a grid of cells on a display is disclosed. A first plurality of game elements is randomly displayed within the cells in a normal random display. If a triggering combination appears within the normal random display, a bonus round is initiated. The bonus rounds freezes the game elements as displayed during the normal random display and each one of the cells is designated as wild according to a predetermined pattern. The wild moves along the predetermined pattern and forms winning combinations with the frozen game elements. However, this game only allows a user to enjoy the bonus round for those frozen game elements. If the game elements which are frozen cannot form any winning combination, then the wild does not produce the bonus aspect of the game. The bonus round may not produce a win because the frozen game elements cannot form any winning combination. Unproductive bonus rounds discourage play of the game.
Another such gaming machine and method is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,013 to Bennett. The '013 Patent discloses a gaming machine displaying a grid of cells on a display. A first plurality of game elements is randomly displayed within the cells in a normal random display. If a triggering combination appears within the normal random display, a bonus round is initiated. The bonus round includes a fairy which randomly appears and designates one of the game elements in one of the cells as wild. That specific designated game element is then wild for a predetermined number of rounds. During each of the rounds, the wild can only be utilized if the wild in the designated cell appears within any of the cells in that column. Alternately, the fairy could designate one class of elements as wild during the bonus rounds. However, these wilds during the bonus rounds can only be used if the wilds appear in the cells during the bonus rounds. Again play is discouraged when no wilds are appearing in the cells during the bonus round. When no wilds appear, the user will not be as likely to continue playing the gaming machine.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a gaming machine and method of playing a game that extends play in the bonus round by taking advantage of a wild during each of the bonus rounds. Further, it would be advantageous to provide incentive for the player to play longer.